Darkness Within Darkness
by Kye-ren
Summary: A young Skye-born who is different from her people has passed from her world to the Earth, and must help the CCS gang fight off evil demons and keep the two worlds from merging. But why is Yue acting so strangly around her? *revised version*
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own CardCaptors (I wish!) Also, I received permission from Crei Sanada to use her idea of the Skye-Born.   
So I own a special thanks to Crei Sanada for giving me her creation to use in this story.   
  
  
  
The double moons were slowly rising into the indigo sky as grey clouds drifted over the water. In the plae light the waves glittered like jewels as they crashed onto the sandy beach of the tiny island. Tropical forests and flowers of all colors covered the island, and through them snaked a ribbon of pure blue; a river coming from the island's center. This island was only one of many on the ocean world of Namazzi. Birds and animals of all shapes, sizes and colors were either flying, perched on or hiding under the heavy foliage of the forest.  
  
Under the broad leaved ferns and trees ran a young girl. She was dressed in a pale green dress, with a slightly darker belt. Her skin was as pale as Reiko, the first moon of Namazzi. Her hair was the color of the purest silver and it flowed down her back like a silky mane, and had silver chains and charms intertwined into the thick locks. Her eyes were cat-like and the color of pewter. Decorating her neck, writs and ankles were tiny silver bells. Two gold and silver-tipped feathered wings were folded against her back, the feathers rustling softly in the wind. This was Yeishen, one of the Sky-borne, or Ni'ly'ka, the people of Namazzi.  
  
Namazzi was a strange world in itself, covered with ocean, the only "land" being islands that were surrounded by protective giant ivory/crystal towers that rose out of the water. These islands were scattered around the planet in random clusters and strands, which was why the Ni'ly'ka had evolved into winged beings. They were very intelligent, and spoke with telepathy, and possessed great magic. Yeishen was one of the few 'exceptions' among her people.  
  
True, Yeishen did have magic, and could fly and was smart, but she could not speak the way the other Ny'li'ka did. She spoke with her mouth, not her mind, and because of this she was considered "odd" and "A bit slow". And Yeishen was an orphan. She had no parents to raise her, and that was odd in itself in the fact that the Ni'ly'ka were very dedicated to their families, and would never just abandon their children. No one knew who Yeishen's parents were, only that one was not fromNamazzi. One ancient Ni'ly'ka woman had insisted that she knew who Yeishen's parents were, but for fear of putting Yeishen in danger, she would tell no one who they were.   
  
But none of this meant anything to Yeishen. She was thirteen years old, a mere babe by Ni'ly'ka standards. She had grown up on her own, and lived away from any other Ni'ly'ka. She was very fast, and had tapped into more of her senses and instincts than other Ni'ly'ka, for where she lived it was dangerous. Just being caught out in the open at night could be a deathsentence, for the demons known as the Eiruu came out at night, and would kill anything they came in contact with. Yeishen had developed a great skill for fighting the Eiruu, as well as anything else, including other people. She was very vicious if they insulted her, for she could hear their speach, even if she couldn't reply. So she was generally avoided.   
  
Reiko, and her smaller sister, Kinza, were now at their peaks, lighting the sky in a pale false dawn. It was this time of night that was the most dangerous, because this was when the Eiruu came on the prowl. The demons came from the Void, and drained any living creature they came in contact with of their life energy. Their hunger was never ending, and neither was their hunting. But Yeishen's home was close by, and even with all their power, the Eiruu could not come near the Aael trees. Something in the wood killed them on contact, which was why Yeishen had made her home in a grove of Aael trees.   
  
It was just as she reached her home that Yeishen felt something, something very strange. The energy signature wasn't any she'd felt before, and it certainly wasn't the Eiruu. Their energy had a dark, dead feeling to it. This energy was alive, very alive. She was very curious, and wanted to check it out. She grabbed a staff of made from Aael wood, then set off to find what the energy was coming from. The trail led her deep into the forest, near the base of the dormant volcano in the island's center. She could see a cave, and could tell that this was where the energy was coming from. There were marking outside of the cave, but Yeishen couldn't understand them, so she ignored them and went inside.  
  
It was dark, darker than anything she'd ever been in. There was a long, narrow tunnel and somewhere beyond it she could see a light of some kind. Her curiousity grew and Yeishen found herself walking into the darkness, one hand on the tunnel wall to guide her. She could smell the sulfur from the volcano and quickly put up a shield to protect herself. No reason to get hurt now. What she found when she finally reached the end of the tunnel was a small alcove. From the top and bottom of the floor rose two giant golden crystals unlike anything Yeishen had ever seen before! They came towards each other, only to stop a few centimeters from joining together. In the center of the space were two objects, a staff and a small globe.   
  
The globe, made from a smokey blue crystal, looked rather dull next to the staff. The staff was made from finely crafted sliver, and the top looked like a serpant forming a hoop with its body. In the center of the hoop were three stones, one red, one green and one blue. They hovered where they were positioned, humming softly. Curiousity overcame Yeishen and she reached out and placed a hand around the staff, feeling its energy run though her.   
  
Suddenly the world around Yeishen began to spin and blur! She screamed loudly, but it didn't help. She was falling, and her wings wouldn't work for her. She held the staff tightly against her body, trying to protect it. Everything went dark for a moment, and she felt a piercing coldness, then she was standing on firm ground again. But she was not in the cave, or in her home, or anywhere near the island she'd grown up in. She couldn't see or hear the ocean, and it was much colder than anything she was used to. And she was standing in the middle of a park full of people, mainly human children her age. That was the first thing she noticed. She was among humans, the beings her people told stories about, people who had no magic in them. And no wings. Yeishen quickly made her own dissappear, but she knew she still stood out.   
  
Yeishen ran from all the people and hid in a small grove of cherry trees, the staff still in her hands. She climbed up on of the trees and hid in its leafy branches, waiting for her heart to slow down and her mind to clear so she could think. But then the staff in her hands changed into a small charm and placed itself on the single chain around her neck! The pulsing magic stopped, and the staff, or what used to be the staff, felt cold and silent. Yeishen was trapped on this world, with beings who had no magic, and her with no way home. She was in a great deal of trouble. To make things worse, it started to rain.   
  
Well, she thought it was rain at first. But then she sat that it was mixed with snow. She'd only seen snow on the tops of high mountains before, and this did not make her happy. She'd freeze to death if she didn't find a place to get out of this awful weather, but she was completely lost in a strange world. Still, Yeishen guessed it wouldn't hurt to try. After all, things couldn't get much worse than they were now. She hopped out of the tree, landing in a puddle, and ended up splashing water on a human that was passing by. He stopped in surprise, his grey/blue eyes wide as he looked at Yeishen! She growled and prepared to run, but the boy held up his hands in a friendly gesture. Yeishen paused, waiting to see what he had to say. After all, he didn't look too strong. She could beat him if it came to a fight.  
  
Wait," he said. "I don't mean to hurt you. Are you lost?"   
  
Yeishen paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. She didn't sense anything threatening about him, so she might as well go along with the conversation/   
  
"I don't need help," Yeishen said slowly, hoping she was saying it right. She didn't need any human to help her.   
  
"Are you sure?" asked the boy. "After all, not many people have a magical aura around them, especially one as strong as yours. I know that you are not human."   
  
That was all it took for Yeishen to go into a defensive stance. She spread her wings wide, the row of spikes poised and ready to kill their target. The boy took a few steps back, but looked no more surprise than if he had expected it. He probably had, Yeishen thought, then realized that this boy, this human, had a magical aura around him! But she had always heard that humans had no magic! Was he like her, a rare breed among his own kind? But now that she felt around, she sensed more magical forces of which about two more were human, and one seemed semi-human. What kind of world was this? The boy sensed her   
confusion and smiled.   
  
"Yes, I have magic, and so do a few others in this city. Magic isn't as normal here as where you're from, I'm sure. If you need a place to stay, you can stay with me. Or you can take your chances out here, if you'd like."   
  
It didn't take long for Yeishen to decide. She folded her wings against her back and shook some water from her hair. "I...will go with you. I am called Yeishen."   
  
"And my name is Eriol. Follow me."   
  
Eriol turned and began to walk away and Yeishen followed close behind. The streets were empty now, so no one noticed the young girl who looked very odd. She was surprised that Eriol could walk so fast,she'd never thought humans could have such speed. She followed him to a rather large house, and she hesitated when he went inside. He left the door wide open so that she could see the interior, and she also felt two more magical forces inside. Cautiously, Yeishen walked into the house and closed the door behind her.   
  
It was much warmer in the house, and the heat made Yeishen relax. She couldn't remember ever being so cold before. She was soaked, and the warmth of the house felt good, but she tensed up again as two creatures came down the stairs, looking at her. One of the creatures looked human, but her senses told Yeishen that it wasn't, and the second looked like a cat with wings. Both were staring at her, the human-creature a little more curious than the cat-creature.   
  
"Master, who is this?" asked the human-creature.   
  
"Her name is Yeishen, and she will be staying with us for awhile, Ruby," Eriol replied. "She is very wary of people, so don't bother her."   
  
The cat-creature gave a laugh, to which Ruby gave him an evil glare. Yeishen bristled warningly, then shook the water from her body, soaking both of them. The cat-creature vanished promptly, but Ruby seemed as if she were ready to strangle Yeishen. Only the fact that Eriol had entered the room did she leave Yeishen alone. Ruby stomped off back up the stairs, slamming a door behind her. Eriol just shook his head and handed Yeishen a towl to dry herself off with. She ignored it and looked around.   
  
"Do all humans live in such ugly houses?" She asked. Eriol looked a little shocked.   
  
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.   
  
"This place is very ugly. Everything is so...straight. There isn't any designs of curves or anything. You humans must have no sense at all when it comes to building. Even the Eiruu have better taste, I think."   
  
"The Eiruu?" Eriol promted.   
  
Yeishen gave a shudder. "They're creatures that live in the darkness. They come out only at night, and feed off of energy. My people, the Ni'ly'ka, call them the Darkness within Darkness. When they attack, they do it slowly. They drain the energy of creatures, only the creatures don't really know that they're there, it just feels like they've become sick, like the flu or something. But eventually they kill them, because they drain all of the energy. I've faught them since I was old enough to walk, and I know just how dangerous they are. Gods forbid they every reach this world, or all you humans would be dead. It is strange because they have always gone for the beings who possess magic first, and that would make you a great target."   
  
Eriol gave a slight shudder at the thought. The way Yeishen described the creatures brought a feeling of fear and loathing he couldn't explain. He'd never even seen or heard of these creatures until now, so why was he afraid? Eriol simply shrugged the feeling off and smiled at Yeishen.  
  
"There are plenty of spare rooms for you to stay in, Yeishen."  
  
"I would rather stay down here, thank you very much," Yeishen replied, laying down on the floor next to the fireplace. The heat of the flames dried her off, and it wasn't long before Yeishen was fast asleep.   
  
"Are you saying they might come here?"   
  
"I do not know. I felt something very cold when I passed from my world to yours. If it is the Ven, and if they do come here, we will all be in great danger. I know how dangerous they are. Gods forbid that they ever come here. They are bad enough on my world, they would destroy this one. That is why I must make sure they do not reach this world." 


	2. Chapter 2

Kero looked up suddenly from the cookie he'd been eating, his senses picking up on a powerful magical force that had entered the city. Whatever it was, he would have to get Sakura to check it out. He pulled out the cell phone Tomoyo had given her and dialed the number, waiting fro Sakura to answer. When she did, she seemed a little irritated.   
  
"What is it, Kero?" Sakura asked.   
  
"Look, I know you and Syaoran are out on a date, but we have a little problem. Something with a strong magical power has entered the city, and I need you and Syaoran to see if you can find it."   
  
"Are you sure?" Sakura asked, now sounding more concerned.   
  
"Definitely. Something about it feels very wrong. I'm going to get Yue, and we'll meet up with you."   
  
"Okay, Kero."   
  
The phone hung up. Kero looked out the window, where it was raining heavily. This was not going to be an easy task. He opened the window and flew outside before changing into his true form. Much to his surprise, Yue was already waiting for him. The angel looked at Kero, his normal cold eyes dancing with worry. He had felt the energy too, and he had a very bad feeling about it.   
  
"We must hurry and find the source of this power. I feel it may attract unwanted attention," Yue said so softly that Keroberos nearly missed it.   
  
"Unwanted attention? From what?"   
  
Yue didn't answer the question. Instead he flew off, heading towards the edge of the city. Keroberos followed after him, hoping he would get an explanation. But all he got was silence. Yue continued to fly in a straight line, and before long, landed on a muddy field surrounded by dead or dying trees. He could feel the coldness in the air, and it wasn't from the rain. He was definitely here, Yue could sense Him. But he couldn't sense where. But that meant the two worlds were getting ready to merge, something that couldn't be allowed to happen. The last time He had tried to merge the two worlds, He had been stopped by Yue and someone else, someone that Yue still didn't have the strength to mention, even to himself.   
  
"Yue, why are we in this place? We should be searching for that magical force, not standing in a muddy field!" Keroberos said.   
  
"This is where the source is coming from. You just don't know what to look for."   
  
"Then why don't you tell me?" Keroberos shouted.   
  
"Go find Sakura. I will follow shortly," Yue ordered.   
  
Keroberos was about to protest again, then decided against it. Yue did things for reasons that he would never understand, and it was better for him not to try. So he turned away from Yue and took off to find Sakura and Syaoran. Once he was alone, Yue looked out into the darkness and called out, "I know you are here, Aizakku! Show yourself!"   
  
From the shadows a menacing figure appeared, his dark hair tied back with a piece of black leather. His clothing was made from black silk, and his dark wings were spread in a hostile gesture, daring Yue to try and attack. Aizakku's eyes danced with evil menace and a hatred that he saved especially for Yue. Yue, likewise, hated Aizakku, but for a different reason. He had been the one who had caused so much pain.   
  
"Well, Yue, it certainly has been a long time. You haven't changed much, but then, you were sealed away in a book. What ever happened? Did you master find out about you and -"   
  
"Enough, Aizakku," Yue hissed. "My past is my business. If you're trying to merge the two worlds together, then I am going to destroy you."   
  
"You?" Aizakku laughed. "You couldn't even hurt me if you wanted to. See, unlike last time, I have a new ally. One who can't wait to reach this world. I have one of them with me right now. Here, why don't you say hello..."   
  
From somewhere within Aizakku's cloak came a shadow-like creature with very long, sharp claws! It had launched itself at Yue, who ducked to escape it. Its claws brushed up against Yue's arm, drawing blood from the magical being. All at once Yue felt very dizzy and weak! He fell to his knees, unable to stand. Everything was moving around him, and he could no longer see his enemy, or anything else for that matter.   
  
"W-what is happening?" Yue asked in a harsh whisper.   
  
"Oh, nothing much," Aizakku said in an evil tone. "The Eiruu is just beginning to drain your energy. In two hours you won't be able to move, and perhaps just an hour after that, you'll be dead. I would stay and watch, but I have other business to attend to. You won't have to worry about the Eiruu attacking you again, though. Once it draws blood, it doens't need to be near you to drain your energy. Too bad you won't get to see the worlds merge."   
  
As Aizakku walked away Yue tried to go after him, but was unable to rise. He could only hope that Sakura and the others were able to stop him.   
  
  
Yeishen looked up suddenly from where she was sleeping, her senses on fire! Eriol had sensed something too, for he had stood up very suddenly, looking around the room. Everyhting had become very cold suddenly, and Yeishen realized that there was an Eiruu nearby. She spread her wings and growled a warning, looking around for where the Eiruu may have been hiding. It appeared suddenly, coming down from above them, landing on Eriol's back! He creid out in pain as the creature's sharp claws pierced his skin, drawing blood from the wound! Yeishen shot a well aimed spike at it, knocking the creature off and pinning it to the wall, killing the beast! Eriol had fallen to the floor, weak from the sudden drain on his energy. Killing the Eiruu had helped, but now his energy was being drained into the Void, and while it was much slower than being drained by the Eiruu, it was just as dangerous.   
  
Ruby and Spinner appeared suddenly, having heard their master's cry, and became defensive when Yeishen moved over to help him.   
  
"Back off!" Ruby shouted warningly.   
  
"I am not the one who did this," Yeishen said firmly. "That one is pinned to your wall."   
  
She pointed to the spiked Eiruu, that was quickly fading away into nothingness. "It has drawn blood from Eriol. Now his energy is being drained. I can slow the process down, but I can't stop it. Not right now, anyway."   
  
"Why not?" Spinner demanded.   
  
"Because I must find the Eiruu first. It had to reach this world through a door. I must find and close that door. I'm not sure how I'll do that, only that I have to. You two stay here and take care of Eriol."   
  
With that Yeishen ran out of the house and towards the city. The rain/snow was falling harder than ever, but that didn't slow Yeishen down. A few moments later Yeishen was in the air, looking for the source of the Eiruu. She didn't have much time. If she didn't close the door within a certain amount of time, Eriol would die. But as she flew over an old field covered with dead trees, Yeishen felt another pang of distress! Someone else had been attacked by an Eiruu, and was fading fast! Unable to ignore her instincts to help, Yeishen flew towards the wounded creature, and found it was another person who had a magical aura. The only difference was, he looked like a Ni'ly'ka!   
  
Yeishen almost panicked when she saw the young man lying on the ground, his white wings covered with mud and silver-colored blood! She forced herself to calm down and landed next to him, looking for the wound. She found it on his arm, a long gash that would need to be closed immediately. Using her magic, Yeishen closed the gash, but still the man felt cold to her. He had been attacked much sooner than Eriol had, and was much weaker. He didn't have much time left. She quickly found out why. The door that the Eiruu had been using was no more than six or seven meters away, and there were a mass of the shadow demons lingering on the edge, all of them draining the man's energy.   
  
Suddenly the staff released itself from the chain and became large again, and Yeishen reached instinctively to grab it. The minute her hand touched the staff the three stones began to hum and emmit a very bright light! The Eiruu screamed in pain and backed away from the door! Yeishen moved closer towards it, forcing the Eiruu back into their own world. Then, to her surprise, all three stones lined up, and a beam of pale white light began to flow across the ground and up into the door. With a soft whispering sound, the door closed, sealing the Eiruu inside.   
  
Yeishen turned back to the man, who still lay unmoving. The stone began to hum again, and the light surrounded Yeishen, making her feel warm. Not really knowing what she was doing, but listening to the voice inside of her heart, Yeishen placed a small hand over the man's heart, letting the light flow from her body into his. A moment later the staff became small again and the light faded away. Yeishen looked at the man, feeling as if she should know who he was. The feeling lasted only a moment, for his eyes opened suddenly, and he sat up, knocking Yeishen back in surprise.   
  
"Who are you?" He demanded. Then he took a closer look at Yeishen, his eyes widening. "It can't be..."   
  
"Can't be what?" Yeishen asked.   
  
The winged man didn't answer. Instead he took off into the air and disappeared from sight. Yeishen felt the urge to follow him, but instead remained on the earth. Something was going on, and she had to find out what. She also had to help Eriol, now that she knew how. So, against her heart's wish to follow the man, she took flight and headed back to Eriol's house. 


	3. Chapter 3

Aizakku walked down the streets, paying no attention to the looks he was getting from the people he was passing. After all, soon they would all be under his control. The rain didn't bother him in the least, and he could sense three more powers near by. He had already sent an Eiruu after some other powers he'd felt, possibly one of them could be the unknown child that he was worried about. Aja was also somewhere on this miserable planet, and he would have to find her too. No need leaving loose ends around that could cause trouble later. Suddenly he sensed the three powers getting closer, and he hid within the shadows to wait for them to pass. He was a bit disappointed when he saw two kids run by, they couldn't be any older than 14 or 15 years old. But when he saw Keroberos run by, he knew that they must be powerful indeed. That also meant one of those two brats had the Clow Cards. Aizakku stepped out of the shadows and reappeared in front of the children and the guardian beast, startling them.   
  
"Well, well, two brats and their kitty, out all alone. Clow Reed isn't here to protect you this time, Keroberos," Aizakku laughed.   
  
"Clow Reed?! How do you know about him? Who are you?" Keroberos demanded.   
  
"Let's just say that Clow's other guardian, Yue, foiled my plans once before. But this time Yue can't stop me, and I will soon rule this world, and the world of Namazzi. Here, meet some friends of mine..."   
  
Two Eiruu appeared from his cloak, but Sakura was faster, and used the shield card to block them. They fell back onto the ground, momentarily stunned.   
"Quick! Into the air!" Keroberos shouted.   
"Right," Sakura said. "Fly card! Release and dispel!"   
  
The staff appeared with two wings on it, and Sakura and Syaoran were in the air in a matter of seconds, as was Keroberos. Sakura recalled the Shield Card, and they hovered over the area, watching Aizakku. The Eiruu had recovered and were prowling the ground, unable to fly and reach the two teenagers and the guardian beast. Aizakku, for all his power, couldn't fly either, though he could launch several fireballs at them, which they dodged.   
  
"You can't escape for long, you miserable brats. I have already gotten Yue. Before long he will be nothing more than a memory."   
  
"What?!" Sakura and Keroberos shouted. But Aizakku and the Eiruu had already vanished. 


	4. Chapter 4

Yeishen reached Eriol's house with no further trouble, and ran to the fallen boy's side as quickly as he could. His face was pale, but not as bad as the other one she had healed just before. She took the pendent from its chain, and almost instantly it became a staff again. The three stones lined up in the center, and again the warm light flowed through Yeishen's body. She placed her hand over Eriol's heart and directed the staff's energy into him. The staff hummed for a moment, then fell silent as the light faded away. Yeishen opened her eyes and look at Eriol, who was no longer pale or weak. In fact, he was looking up at her curiously. Both Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon seemed very relieved.  
  
"Master! You're alright!" they both cried at the same time.  
  
"Yes, it would seem that I am. Thank you, Yeishen."  
  
Yeishen shrugged and stood up. Now that Eriol had been healed she could go and look for that strange man. Something else was going on as well, and she wanted to find out what. Without a word Yeishen made her way to the door, hardly listening to the protests Eriol and the other two made.  
  
"Where are you going, Yeishen?" Eriol called.  
  
"To find whoever is letting the Eiruu into this world. Someone with great magic must be doing it, for they couldn't do it on their own. You should stay here, it isn't safe for those who don't know what they're doing." It was a subtle insult, but an insult nonetheless. She was feeling like her normal self again now that she was facing something she knew.  
  
"We're coming with you," Eriol said firmly, not the least bit dissuaded. Yeishen shrugged.  
  
"Do whatever you want, human, just don't get in my way. I don't want to have to heal you again, or worse, hurt you to keep you from getting in the way."  
  
This time Eriol laughed as he followed her outside. Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun followed close by, both wary and alert. Once outside Yeishen took to the air, ignoring the wind and rain that pelted her small body. Ruby followed at her side, and Spinel Sun and Eriol followed closely below them. She led them through the city, casting her senses about like a fisherman casts his line, looking for any traces of Dark energy that would lead her to the Eiruu. She found it somwhere in the downtown area, so that's where she headed. She stoppped suddenly when she came across the same man from earlier, talking to another lion-like creature similar to Spinel Sun! Standing next to them was a girl and boy about Eriol's age, both of them looking very relieved.  
  
While Yeishen hovered in the air Ruby, Spinel and Eriol went down to greet the four, as they seemingly knew each other. But Yeishen didn't follow them, instead she stayed where she was, uncertain of what to do. Certainly none of the four seemed to feel her presense, save for the 'angel'. He glanced up at her, his lavender eyes a sea of mixed emotions. Much to her surprise, Yeishen heard his voice inside her mind saying, "Get out of here! He is looking for you and wants to kill you. Leave the city!" Yeishen nearly fainted at the force of the message, but she refused to obey. More than ever she wanted to know who this person was, but when he looked at her again it was a threatening look. Yeishen retreated a few blocks, then stopped. She most definetly wasn't leaving, not yet, anyway. If what he said was true, then the man who wanted to kill her was the one opening the gates. She would wait and see. 


End file.
